Memorial Day 2013 - The Wounded Warrior Project

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

As the nation turns it attention to the summer season this Memorial Day, it is time again for The Madison Conservative to repost an earlier blog about a subject near and dear to us. We must honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of democracy, to protect the citizens and ideals of the United States of America. There are many ways to honor our fallen heroes, but perhaps the greatest way to do so is to help provide for their fellow surviving soldiers, seamen, airmen and marines.

To that point, here is the re-post:

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

At a time when the body politic is abuzz over peripheral issue nonsense it is perhaps a fitting time to turn our attention to a matter of true national importance.

To wit:

There are many worthy charities that need to be supported by the public at large. There is currently running a series of commercials promoting the cause of the Wounded Warrior Project. The one that created the impetus for this blog post featured Trace Adkins.

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

The charity is focused solely on helping returning disabled veterans and their families cope with the adjustments inherent with a disability coupled with the stresses related to the rigors of war inflicted upon the mind and body of our returning veterans.

The website address is being repeated throughout this blog to show support and solidarity with their intended mission.

That being said, and speaking as a United States Navy veteran, the fact that this organization was created out of a need to fill a void should be an embarrassment upon the military bureaucracy specifically entrusted with the care of our veterans, and should be an outrage to the electorate at large.

It is a disgrace that in the United Sates of America our veterans need to have an organization outside of the military ask for funds to help with their transition back to civilian life, to say nothing of asking for financial support to aid in their adaptive needs for a war inflicted disability.

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

There is constant dialogue throughout the nation that we must “support the troops even if we disagree with the mission”, one of the hard learned lessons at the expense of our Vietnam War veterans: a true national disgrace whose wounds we are hopefully beginning to heal by acknowledging the treatment of those particular veterans and doing all we can to guarantee that such treatment of our military is never repeated.

It is crucial to understand that there is absolutely not one infinitesimal bit of daylight between the Madison Conservative and the wonderful folks at the Wounded Warrior Project.

The issue here is that there should never be a need for the private sector to provide anything of substantive necessity for our veterans and their needs when they return from battle. The men and women of our all voluntary military provide the protection and safety that allows us to become enraptured with the absurdities of any number of inconsequential matters, such as the current national political electoral theater.

The members of our armed forces choose to fill the role of protector, and their families bear the emotional and financial burdens of that decision. They should never be placed in the position of having to ask  any private enterprise for help in providing whatever support – physical, emotional or financial – the veteran and their family may need as they acclimate back to a civilian life  while coping with a injury suffered in defense of American liberty and freedom.

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

If we break the explicit and implicit social contract with our soldiers, seamen, marines and airmen, America will no longer be the home of the brave and land of the free.

We will be too busy having telethons to raise money for guns, and asking corporations to help with a ‘buy a bullet’ campaign.

The Wounded Warrior Project is truly a charity that speaks to our higher ideals; but it should fall onto the American people through the military bureaucracy to insure that no veteran should ever need to ask a private entity for help.

We as a people are better than that.

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

An Open Letter to Attorney General Eric Holder

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

Mr. Attorney General,

It has been an eventful week for the administration, and for you specifically.

Given the range of issues and the responses from yourself and the spokespeople for the administration, there is a groundswell of opinion that the president must either fire you, or that you must resign.

The Madison Conservative urges you to resist these cries for your dismissal and provide the American people with true leadership.

The four major issues at hand can be addressed by you in a voice that carries substantial weight. We are a nation of laws, and you are the chief law enforcement of this nation.

As such, you can provide legal clarity to the following:

Benghazi – Please determine who first included the notion of a video no one had ever seen as being the impetus for the assassination of four Americans. Inquire as to exactly where the President of the United States was during the critical hours of the assault on the diplomatic compound. Please provide former Secretary Clinton with the answer to her question – “what difference does it make now?”. I am sure you understand the need to school Mrs. Clinton on the realities of her question and the answer. Lastly, who gave the order for the troops who might have made a difference to stand down?

The HHS Secretary – Please investigate why Secretary Sebelius is soliciting funds from the organizations most directly affected by the Affordable Care Act to promote said legislation. Initial answers that there is nothing illegal about it do not seem sufficient and the ethics of such actions must be properly adjudicated.

The IRS – Given the ability of the IRS to intimidate, harass and harangue the American people on a whim, surely in this instance laws were broken. Please investigate why the President was not aware of anything until, as he has stated publicly, he saw it on the news. This strains credibility to the breaking point. You must stand against the tide and pursue this matter. The American people cannot be allowed to be in fear of a government that was established for, by and of the people. The claim by the political left that the IRS is somehow an autonomous entity is obfuscation at its best – are they unaware that the IRS is under the Department of the Treasury? You must pursue this to wherever it leads, and if you do so, I guarantee the American people will have your back.

The AP – Please explain to the American people two critical points on this matter. First, exactly why was it necessary to illegally obtain phone records from a media source? Surely, the freedoms of speech and of the press were infringed upon, and those responsible must be held accountable. Secondly, why exactly did you recuse yourself? Placing responsibility on an underling is inappropriate. You must take the reins of the investigation and present to the American people the facts, however and wherever you find them.

In short, Mr. Attorney General, DO YOUR JOB!

Given the cowardly assaults on personal freedoms by this administration, and your decision to acquiesce to such choices, you cannot expect to be taken seriously.

I am aware that some taxpayer funded lowlife will find this letter to you and attempt to take retribution.

No need. As an American, you know where to find me.

I dare you.

The Immigration Debate - part 3 - The Constitutional Perspective

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

Given the lapse between blog posts, it is perhaps instructive to repeat the comments made by Attorney General Eric Holder during an April 24th speech to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund with respect to what is being proffered as the Obama administrations’ perspective on the immigration debate:

"Creating a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in this country is essential. The way we treat our friends and neighbors who are undocumented – by creating a mechanism for them to earn citizenship and move out of the shadows – transcends the issue of immigration status. This is a matter of civil and human rights. It is about who we are as a nation. And it goes to the core of our treasured American principle of equal opportunity."

With equal parts frustration, exasperation and incredulity, it is difficult to decide where to begin with such an idiotic and ignorant statement, but the Madison Conservative will attempt to do just that.

“A pathway to earned citizenship” – There already exists a pathway to citizenship – it is the immigration law of the United States. The Attorney General is the chief law enforcement official in the government – perhaps he should familiarize himself with the laws already on the books to deal with immigration.

“Unauthorized immigrants”. As previously noted, the language of the debate is critical. ‘Immigrant’ is a legal status – it is impossible to be an ‘unauthorized’ anything and retain legal status.

“The way we treat our friends and neighbors who are undocumented”. We should treat them with respect surely, but by using euphemisms such as 'undocumented’ attempts to convey that they are simply returning a gift without a proper receipt. There is a legal process to attain status under the law in this nation. Breaking that law should not be shrouded in colorful and sympathetic language. People who have broken the law should be referred to by their true legal status – ‘defendants’, and treated as such. By all means, if the administration wishes to change the law for future peoples, that is surely their right – under the law. In the same way a law cannot be enforced retroactively, so then a privilege cannot be conferred retroactively.

“By creating a mechanism for them to earn citizenship and move out of the shadows”. It must be noted here that it was a choice of these individuals to break the law, thus forcing them into ‘the shadows’. Few criminals flaunt their location to the authorities. If they choose to accept responsibility for their choices, there exists a ‘mechanism’ for them to earn citizenship – the immigration laws of the United States. It is troubling that the Attorney General seems oblivious to this reality.

“This is a matter of civil and human rights.” Actually, it is not, in any fashion or form. If one was to accept this idiotic statement, the next question must be answered. Why have any borders? If it is a matter of ‘civil and human rights’, then we should allow any person who wishes to live here to be allowed in. There is thus then no need for immigration policy, border agents and border security – any and all aspects of sovereignty for a nation no longer exists. Surely the billions of people around the world who are not enjoying the fruits of democracy should be allowed immediate entrance to then what was once the United States of America, a nation which would cease to exist , given the abolition of borders, all in the name of ‘civil and human rights’. This is a classic lie foisted by the political left. To prove this point, the Madison Conservative would ask the Attorney General if he would accept this proposition. Allow all the current illegal aliens some manner of legal status, save for forbidding them to vote for the next thirty years.

Exactly. No one of the political left would accept that concept. The question is why not? If this is about human and civil rights, fine, just omit the option for them to vote. The hypocrisy and cynicism of the Administration is thus revealed to the American people, who must enjoin the immigration debate with that understanding.

“It is about who we are as a nation.” The accepted political mantra from the left is always “we are a nation of laws”, a phrase invoked at every opportunity to castigate and chastise their opposition. Fine, we are indeed a nation of laws. Perhaps the Attorney General of the United States should start enforcing them on people who flaunt them.

“And it goes to the core of our treasured American principle of equal opportunity.” Yes, Mr. Attorney General, equal opportunity for the citizens of the greatest nation the world has ever known, but not for those who attempt to circumvent the due legal process, processes enacted to "support, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.

That was part of the oath you swore to when you accepted the position of Attorney General. The American people would only ask that you honor your oath, instead of playing cynical political games and exhibiting political cowardice for simple political expediency.

The American people deserve better.